


Catch & Release

by orphan_account



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Awkwardness, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-01
Updated: 2016-11-02
Packaged: 2018-05-04 07:00:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5324864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one with two hopeless teenage boys caught up in all kinds of misunderstandings.</p><p>If Akaashi was the slow, calm depths of the ocean then Bokuto was the cyclone swirling relentlessly above the surface.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pardon Me, I'll Just Leave

Akaashi could have sworn his heart had shattered. That was not the news he’d expected to hear on a Sunday afternoon at lunch with his captain, Kuroo and Kenma. In fact, he’d rather have gone without ever hearing those words. The two captains….were dating?

Well, he couldn’t say he was entirely surprised. They were very very close friends, often being mistaken as dating anyway. But for it to finally be made official, well, the idea of it made his chest ache painfully. In all honesty, he was thankful to leave an hour later – under the guise of needing to do homework.

As he hurried home, he contemplated the plausibility of the newfound relationship. Of course Bokuto was interested in Kuroo; the other captain was just as energetic as him and complemented his personality perfectly. Nothing like the quiet setter.

But he wouldn’t let himself dwell on things he couldn’t change. If they were happy together then that was all that mattered, right? He could hardly make a fuss, that would be far too selfish. And what would come of it anyway? Losing two of his friends, and possibly Kenma if he followed Kuroo. All for unrequited feelings that he had decided to act upon and come between two people who clearly loved each other.

Struggling to push the raging jealousy out of his head as he walked into his empty house, he decided to settle down in his room and try to focus on his schoolwork. Hopefully it would be challenging enough to warrant his complete attention.

“If x is this, then by doing this….y should be…” He spoke out loud to himself, finding it was much more effective in distracting his mind from the unexpected and entirely unwanted news he’d just received.

Despite his attempts to concentrate on his work, the violent buzzing of his phone brought him out of his reverie – glancing over at the screen and seeing the ever-increasing mass of texts from the reason for his inner turmoil.

Seeing the name the other had given himself in his contacts usually made him smile just a little bit, he’d never changed it back beforehand. Why would he? It was endearing in every sense of the word. But now it just made his heart clench uncomfortably in his chest, a slight hitch of breath coming through his lips from the heart that would never be next to his own name in Bokuto’s contact list.

No, that spot was solely reserved for Kuroo now clearly.

 

 

**From _Bokuto The Owlmighty <3 _[14:57]:**

_Akaaaaaaaaashi_

**From _Bokuto The Owlmighty <3 _[14:57]:**

_Akaashi, I’m bored_

 

**From _Bokuto The Owlmighty <3 _[14:58]:**

_Come out and toss to me?_

 

**From _Bokuto The Owlmighty <3 _[14:58]:**

_Akaaasssshiiii Keiiiijiiiii_

 

**From _Bokuto The Owlmighty <3 _[14:58]:**

_Hey hey hey_

 

**From _Bokuto The Owlmighty <3 _[14:59]:**

_Why do you never answer your phone??_

 

**From _Bokuto The Owlmighty <3 _[15:00]:**

_Are you actually doing homework????????_

 

**From _Bokuto The Owlmighty <3 _[15:01]:**

_???????????????????????????????_

**From _Bokuto The Owlmighty <3 _[15:03]:**

_Fiiiiiiiine then_

 

 

Reaching out to pick up the intrusive device, he still didn’t reply to the messages – instead going on the contact profile for the ace and typing out a new contact name. He changed the picture, originally a selfie that the other had taken with his phone (he really needed to put a passcode on this thing) of the two of them after a game, all sweaty and happy from their win.

They had their arms around each other, Bokuto’s cheek pressed against the setter’s as he grinned widely. In turn, the younger had a look of mild annoyance on his features, though anyone could see the fond amusement as he glanced at the other from the corner of his eye. It was a cute picture, and he quickly deleted it so he wouldn’t have to see it anymore.

As he set the phone down, ready to go back to work after setting it to silent, he noticed the screen flash up with one more message.

 

 

**From _Bokuto Koutarou_ [15:07]:**

_I’ll see you at practice tomorrow, Akaashi!! Don’t be late ;) ;) ;)_

 

Of course, he couldn’t avoid the happy couple forever. He’d still have to hang around with the ace twice a day at practice and, with the knowledge that he was taken and didn’t have an inkling of a change now, that would be all the more painful.

He could suck it up and deal with it, he thought – work long forgotten as he leaned back on his bed – or he could take himself out of the situation that would inevitably ruin him.

He mused it over while making himself dinner, sitting alone at the lonely dinner table in his lonely house. It was too big for the four members of the Akaashi family (plus their dog) together so him being by himself made it feel all the more expansive and vacant.

He had no idea where his parents were, or even where his younger sister had run off to and he didn’t particularly feel like calling up to check. Luckily Chiyo was still home, so he could vent to his puppy freely without risking being interrupted or made fun of for acting so lovestruck and heartbroken. He valued the solitude of the house most days, but sometimes a living companion is much more reassuring than your own thoughts.

Eventually he managed to drag himself off of the couch and up to his room once more, closing the door once Chiyo had curled up by his bed and lying back on the soft covers, one hand slowly running over the pup’s back.

He lay in silence for a long while; the only sound breaking the monotonous quiet was the occasional scrape of too-long claws across the hard floor as the Shiba Inu shifted position under his hand.

Lost in his thoughts, he only came out of them as he heard the front door open and the bustling sound of his parents coming in with loud laughter and the clinking of wine bottles that they’d no doubt drink that very night.

Glancing over at the door from his clock (which showed the time was 21:34) and praying that they wouldn’t come up to check on him, he spoke softly – having made his resolution in his moments of contemplation.

“Chiyo…I’m quitting volleyball.”

 

* * *

 

Bokuto frowned in mild frustration as all his messages were ignored, despite knowing that, in all honesty, he hadn’t actually expected Akaashi to respond. Though the smaller boy did let him spam text first before responding only when he was sure there would not be another onslaught of excited texts. Though it was exactly 17 minutes since his last one, and there was no reply still.

“I don’t get it, Kuroo! Normally he responds eventually!” He whined, draping himself over the other captain’s bed as he watched him play one of his games upside down.

Despite not even looking away from the screen, the bedheaded boy responded straight away. “Dude, he’s probably busy. Let him study or whatever he said.”

“No one’s paying attention to me, I’m so unloved.” Fukurodani’s number 4 exhaled dramatically, watching the other from the corner of his eye to see his reaction. Like he expected, the black haired one shut his console off and turned to face him with an unimpressed look. “Bullshit, you know I love you, bro.”

“Bro, you mean the world to me, bro.” He pretended to wipe away a tear, meeting the other’s eyes.

“I know, bro.”

“Hug me, bro.”

“That’s gay.”

“We are gay.”

“Touché.”

A moment of cautionary silence, before the wing spiker snorted a bit and poked the other’s cheek.

“So’re you gonna hug me or what?”

Without even taking the time to think of a witty response, Kuroo just jumped onto the smaller boy – pulling him close against him and nuzzling his cheek. “You’re like the warmest person ever.”

“Your personal space heater owl, glad to be of service.”

“You’re the best.”

“I know.”

“Honestly how are you so warm?”

“Cause I’m so damn hot.”

“True shit, bro. You’re the hottest.”

“Nah, you are.”

“Can you two stop being gross, I’m trying to play.” Kenma’s voice sounded from across the bed, reminding the two taller boys that they were, in fact, not alone and that this was originally a study session for the four of them. At least before Akaashi bailed to study alone, and Kuroo and Kenma were distracted by their games.

Pulling away in embarrassment, Bokuto laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck as he sat up, lightly shoving Kuroo to one side as the taller let out a small huff of indignation. “Sorry, Kenma. We’ll stop.” He promised, fixing up his slightly mussed up hair from where he’d been crushed just moments before.

Kuroo, on the other hand, just crawled over to where Kenma was seated – knees drawn up to his chest and PSP clutched tightly in his hands as his gaze was focused on Monster Hunter – and pushed his way onto the others lap, laying his head down on the now outstretched legs of his childhood friend as he stared up at him.

“Don’t you wanna get involved, Kenma? Or is voyeurism more your thing?” He teased, grinning at how his friend’s cheeks tinted pink at that comment before yelping as the youngest of the trio flicked his forehead in annoyance.

“Don’t be disgusting. I’m not into threesomes.”

“You sure? I’m sure Bo won’t mind…”

“Uhhh, Kuroo…”

“I’m kidding, babe, you’re the only one for me.”

“I better be.”

“Kuroo…”

“Yes, Kenma darling?”

“Get off my lap.”

The protest was loud and drawn out, only interrupted by the impact of the pillow against his face – hurried apologies being spoken as he sat up and moved to the safety of his boyfriend, cuddling up to him instead and bringing up a new topic of conversation without a second thought.

Though Bokuto wasn’t really paying attention, staring at his phone as he awaited a response that wouldn’t come for the whole evening – not even as he was tucking himself into bed a few hours later after a rowdy dinner with the rest of his family.

No goodnight text or a reminder to get enough sleep before morning practice. He sent another text, hoping this time the other would respond.

 

 

**To _Owlkaaaaaashi <3 _[21:36] _:_**

_Night night Akaashi!! Sleep tight, early start tomorrow morning!!!_

 

As soon as he sent it, a shiver crept up his spine. It was a foreboding feeling, though he couldn’t quite place why it had happened. Surely there was nothing to be worried about!

Putting it down to the increasingly cold weather, he stood up and closed his curtains before grabbing a hoodie to wear. Surely he was just cold.

He settled down to sleep pretty quickly after that, knowing that Akaashi would be mad if he turned up to practice with dark circles and a clear lack of sleep. Passing out almost immediately, he curled up under his sheets – the feeling of the hoodie tight against his chest, maybe a little too tight, as he slept soundly.

 


	2. Wanna Live In A Fantasy

It was most definitely a Monday. The joy of the weekend had disappeared and everyone in the gym was grumbling about how early it was, and how stupid that it was that early when they could have been in bed.

Well, all but one. Akaashi hadn’t turned up yet and practice had been going on for 25 minutes. Maybe he’d overslept from working too hard – he really needed to stop trying to pull all-nighters to get work finished. Then again, he did seem to be a little off the day before. He was probably just ill, in all honesty. No point worrying yet.

Bokuto sighed as he settled down to practice, trying to keep his overwhelming worry and concern for the second year hidden. He’d be fine, Akaashi was too careful to let himself get into any kind of trouble.

Practice was uneventful and much quieter than usual, the typically loud and boisterous ace now being more subdued as he didn’t have his setter to tease and mess around with. It was only until they were all heading into the locker room to change that something entirely unexpected happened.

“Captain! Akaashi-san just handed in his resignation from the club!” One of the first years came bounding up to him, waving a piece of paper that no doubt was said resignation.

Murmurs erupted from the rest of the team, of confusion and theories of why the setter had left already being formulised. Maybe he’d decided to focus entirely on schoolwork, given that practice took up a lot of time and he was almost running himself into the ground trying to stay top of his class.

“Wh-What? He can’t quit, he’s our setter!”

“Maybe he couldn’t deal with Bokuto’s antics anymore.”

“Pft, as if that’s the reason. The guy’s pretty much in lo-… with… volleyball, he wouldn’t quit for that.”

“The Spring High’s so close, what are we going to do?”

“What’s he thinking? This just means we need to practice even more with whoever’s the new setter.”

“Everyone stop talking.” Bokuto finally spoke up, having been frozen in shock from the news. Akaashi…had quit? That’s why he wasn’t at practice that morning?

Could it have been that he’d been planning this for a few days now, maybe why he didn’t respond to Bokuto’s texts about practice the next day? Surely he’d have mentioned it beforehand, though Bokuto couldn’t remember a time that he’d been complaining about the club.

Besides he was necessary to the team! Setters are the most important players on the court; they have the responsibility of running the offense and choosing how the game will play out for their team.

And he’d been excited (or as excited as he’d show) for the Spring High, hell he was even up for it the day before! So something must have changed his mind in the past 24 hours or so.

Did his parents say something? He knew they weren’t too happy about their son focusing on volleyball more than his studying. And as much as he understood that they wanted him to do well and get into the top universities, surely letting him participate in whatever he wanted to, alongside his dedicated studying to the point of near-illness, was a worthy compromise?

Though the former setter had the piece of mind to make his own way in life and defy his parents when they were being unreasonable; he wondered if this time, he’d given in to save another series of arguments.

But no matter what the reason turned out to be, Bokuto was sure as hell going to find out what made his precious Akaashi quit the volleyball club. For his sake, obviously. And maybe for the sake of the team too, they needed the stoic pretty boy.

 

* * *

 

“Kei-chaan~, did you finish the homework Amakata-sensei set us?” Michiko asked; her large brown eyes shimmering as he took his seat next to her in their class.

“Yes, did you?” He responded quietly, a complete contrast to her exuberant excitable nature as she draped over her chair with a giggle.

“Of course I did! But I didn’t get the last two questions, can I see yours?”

“The last two questions, plus the rest then.” He sighed softly, knowing she rarely did her homework despite being highly intelligent. She was the kind of person to prefer going out with friends to central Tokyo instead of staying at home and doing homework.

“You’re the best, Kei-chan! Sensei would kill me if I didn’t hand in my homework!”

“Why don’t you do it yourself then?”

“Because I’m busy! My boyfriend came up from Miyagi prefecture at the weekend so I spent the weekend with him!”

“How did you get into this class?”

“Copied off of Aki-chan.”

He shook his head in mild amusement, handing her the paper that had his work on it before glancing out of the window. He could see the volleyball team come out of the gym from where he was, wondering if they’d gotten the news yet.

“Mmm, that reminds me. Usually you’re not here this early, are you skipping practice, Keiji-kun~?” His classmate hummed, leaning in close to his face as she looked out of the window with him and smirked.

“I quit.”

“Eeeeh!?” She couldn’t have been any louder, everyone in the classroom looked over at the pair as he groaned in annoyance at the unwanted attention. “Why’d you quit!?”

“Michiko-san, please be quieter.” He exhaled slowly, sending a less than pleased look to the rest of the classroom; making them all look away under the intensity of the stare.

“Sorry, Kei-chan…” She calmed down a bit and sat down on the edge of his desk, looking at him with a slight sigh. “Isn’t the Spring High soon?”

“Yes, it is. Though, clearly, I will not be going to it.”

“I don’t understand why you left.”

Because being there would be too painful knowing the boy he liked was in love with someone else. But could he really open up to that?

“I decided to focus on schoolwork.”

She rolled her eyes and flicked his forehead with a perfectly painted pink fingernail, ignoring his irritated response and folded her arms as she looked down at him seriously. He knew to take her seriously when she got like this, that very expression on her meant she wasn’t kidding around for once.

“You’re being dumb. You work harder than anyone else in this class, you’re pretty much top of the year.”

“But-“

“Shut up! I’m talking. There is no need for you to quit volleyball because you want to focus on schoolwork. So there has to be another reason.”

“There isn’t-”

“ _Akaashi-kun_ , don’t lie to me. I know you better than that. Don’t you remember that I figured out you had a crush on Boku-”

“Sssh, sssh, please shut up.” Panicked, Akaashi quickly raised his hands to cover her mouth – glancing around in case anyone else had heard, no one had even looked over at them so he figured his secret was safe.

Making a sound of indignation, Michiko pulled away from the cover of the others hands and lowered them so she could meet his eyes, a little more subdued than she had been before.

“Sorry, but I figured it out before you did so I think I can tell you when you’re being stupid. Is that why you left?”

“Don’t be an idiot.” He scoffed, trying to play it off as a ridiculous idea and look as if he was offended that she’d even consider it.

“Because you like hi-…them too much that not being with them is painful?” She pressed, crossing her arms over her chest as she raised an eyebrow. She knew she was on the right track when Akaashi looked away in response, and only even more so when he spoke up again.

“I hate how perceptive you are.”

“I know,” She dismissed his statement with a wave of her hand before meeting his eyes again. “But this is so sudden. Did something happen?”

“Are you going to let this go?”

“Absolutely not, I need to know everything. It gives me life.”

“Fine, you know the captain of Nekoma?”

“I know of him.”

“They’re dating.”

Michiko blinked before her face softened, and she ran a hand through his hair gently. This poor boy; being gay for your best friend is one thing, but for said best friend to be with another guy is the worst.

“Oh, Keiji… I’m sorry…”

He shrugged and shook his head, apologies wouldn’t change that they were dating and probably wouldn’t break up from how utterly perfect they were for each other.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“No, it does…I-“

She was cut off by the teacher walking in, setting her books down on the front desk and folding her arms as she watched the two students converse in the corner of the room before speaking up.

“Akiyama-san, class is starting now, please may you sit down.”

“Sorry, Amakata-sensei!”

Akaashi sighed softly as she finally left to sit back at her desk, hurriedly copying down his answers before handing him his work back sneakily.

In some ways, talking about it had made it better…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Michiko Akiyama is everything I aspire to be, I think she's one of my favourite OCs.
> 
> Follow me on tumblr: makokeii.tumblr.com.
> 
> If you want to see my thought process as I write and maybe get hints about new chapters before they come out then follow me on twitter!
> 
> https://twitter.com/makokeii
> 
> See you next Sunday!


	3. That Boy's Got My Heart In A Silver Cage

**From _Koutarou <3 <3_ [8:36]:**

Tetsuuuu, I have bad news D:

 

**From _Tetsuneko :3 <3_ [8:36]:**

What’s happened?

 

**From _Koutarou <3 <3_ [8:38]:**

Akaashi left the team

 

**From _Tetsuneko :3 <3_ [8:40]:**

What!? Why!?

 

**From _Koutarou <3 <3_ [8:43]:**

I don’t know! He didn’t show up to practice today and at the end one of the first years came in saying he’d handed in his resignation!

 

**From _Tetsuneko :3 <3_ [8:44]:**

That’s weird, bro… I wonder what happened…

 

**From _Koutarou <3 <3_ [8:44]:**

This is the worst day ever -_-

 

**From _Tetsuneko :3 <3_ [8:45]:**

It’ll be alright, you two usually eat lunch together, right? Ask him then.

**From _Koutarou <3 <3_ [8:46]:**

Right! I’m sure everything’s okay…

 

**From _Koutarou <3 <3_ [8:51]:**

Right?

 

**From _Koutarou <3 <3_ [9:08]:**

Tetsuuuu!?

 

**From _Tetsuneko :3 <3_ [9:13]:**

Teacher’s told me off for going on my phone, I’ll talk to you later, Kou… Tell me how it goes! Xxxxxxx

 

**From _Koutarou <3 <3_ [9:14]:**

Ah sorry man, talk later!! xxxxxxxx

 

Bokuto sighed as he set his phone in his bag again, sulking as he rested his cheek on his hand and looked out of the window. He couldn’t imagine why Akaashi would leave the club if not for his parents making him in order to focus on his studies.

He knew the younger’s home life wasn’t the most ‘white-fence, apple-pie’ as it appeared, though it wasn’t quite ‘long-sleeves and heavy make-up’. There was the odd ‘incident’ every so often, but he’d been assured that everything was fine in recent months. Maybe he shouldn’t have believed him…

Though surely Akaashi could have come and confided in him if his parents were making demands such as that; they were best friends were they not? The thought of Akaashi not trusting him enough anymore was surprising and a little heartbreaking.

Had he done something to offend or hurt the younger?

Or maybe he’d missed all the signs that something was deeply wrong at home…

Whatever had happened must have been bad, Akaashi was resilient enough to take most things head on and deal with them in his own calm, collected way without the need for any drastic action – like leaving the club.

Had his parents finally gone further then they usually did?

Feeling the upset and mild panic build up silently throughout the lesson, he was out of his chair like a bullet as soon as the bell rang for break, practically shoving classmates out of the way as he abandoned his bag and school stuff.

"Watch where you're going!"

"Hey!"

"Koutarou-kun!"

Sounds of annoyance echoed through the crowd of people he ran through, though he barely registered any of the individual words - only that they were said of irritation.

The classroom was empty when he arrived. Usually Akaashi waited in his classroom for him before they went to get lunch together. Apparently that routine had been out on pause for today without him knowing. 

He checked his phone in case the other had texted him that they wouldn't be meeting that day but he didn't have anything. 

Despite the growing concern that was getting almost overwhelming, he opted to wait outside the classroom until lessons started again, hoping to catch the other as he came back.

And sure enough, he came back 5 minutes before lesson started, as the older should probably be going back to his classroom so he wouldn't be late. 

Preventing him from going in, he pulled him to the side so other people could file into the room before folding his arms and looking off to the side in frustration. 

"Why'd you leave?"

"It was on the form.."

"Why did you really leave then?" And without even waiting for a response, he continued to talk. "Is it because you don't like volleyball anymore? Or maybe it's not that, you've been acting weird ever since me and Kuroo came out and said we were dating..."

If Bokuto had looked at the setter during his rant, he'd notice that he'd tensed up entirely, eyes wide and expression pained. He'd notice the clenched hands by his sides before they relaxed and the fingers found each other, scratching and pulling at each other as a nervous habit. If he'd looked even closer, he'd see the ever so subtle panic in the green eyes of the second year, that maybe he'd worked out exactly what had happened to make all these current events come to life. 

"Are you avoiding me because you found out I was gay? So you're not down for having someone like me as a friend?"

"That's not what it is..."

"It sure seems like it. You went home almost straightaway, you ignore my texts, you don't show up to practice then I find out you've quit and you've been avoiding me the whole day!" He listed off all the reasons for his apparent annoyance, though he wasn't really annoyed. He just didn't know how to deal with something like this.

And because he didn't know how to deal with it, he was acting the complete opposite to how he'd planned. He'd wanted to be calm and just ask if everything was okay, like how Akaashi would if their situations were reversed. But instead everything was coming out in the form of anger and hurt, and even the thoughts that he hadn't considered for longer than a second were coming to the surface as accusations towards the other. 

The shorter boy stayed silent, for once he was unable to respond with some thought-out, calculated response. 

"Don't just stand there not saying anything!" Bokuto scowled. 

"Bokuto-san, you're causing a scene..."

"I don't care! Why did you leave? Did you finally let your parents force you to leave?"

That hurt more than he'd have liked. Even as Bokuto realised immediately what he'd said, and hurriedly tried to retract it, the damage had been done. Akaashi wasn't silently panicked anymore, there was just cold hostility and hurt in his expression that he'd even mentioned his home issues. 

"'kaashi...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it..."

"I left because of you." 

It wasn't like Akaashi to be vindictive, to want to upset someone because they'd done it first to him but he couldn't stop himself from talking - much like how Bokuto couldn't prevent that statement. 

Even if the statement was true, even if they'd both said things that were true in certain interpretations - they still hurt each other. 

Yes his parents had been getting more and more insisting that he left, and yes he'd left because of Bokuto but they weren't true in the situation that they had been spoken in. 

But he hadn't been forced to leave, he left of his own will despite not really wanting to. At least it was one less argument to be had every week. And he didn't leave because of Bokuto entirely, just one aspect of him. Just the relationship with Kuroo. 

And he hated the guilty feeling he had when he saw the look of pain on the others face, knowing his would mirror it. 

Without saying anything else, he escaped the tension of the conversation and walked into his classroom, taking his seat and trying to keep the tears from falling – refusing Michiko’s attempts to open up and talk about it.

He'd tried to avoid the inevitable confrontation but he should have known that the captain would come and talk to him about it anyway. 

Of course it'd end up just getting even worse than it needed to. 

And while Akaashi was back in his classroom, in as much of a state as he’d let himself show (which was barely anything, truth be told), Bokuto was doing the same thing just outside his classroom.

He hadn’t moved for a good 7 minutes, Michiko had counted how long she’d seen him just beside the door staring at the spot that Akaashi had just been in as everything went downhill.

But finally he registered that this had been their first real fight, they’d both upset each other and everything was just so confusing… He didn’t know if he would be able to handle going back to class, having to explain why he was late, then try to focus on a lesson that he’d be bored in on a good day.

So instead of going to his lesson, he wandered to the gym and set up the volleyball net silently – the only sounds being the clinking of metals brushing against each other and the squeak of his shoes on the waxed floor.

But despite his attempts to distract himself from the altercation, he couldn’t serve or hit balls hard enough to completely rid the intrusive thoughts from his head.

So it had been his fault that Akaashi left…

Maybe he’d been too obnoxious, or too childish for the clear-minded setter. They always had been an unlikely duo. Despite being the older one, it was like Bokuto was the kid brother that the mature Akaashi had been told to look after so he didn’t get into any trouble.

Maybe his mood swings had gotten too frustrating, it was always Akaashi who dealt with them more than anyone else. And even then, he could tell that he didn’t always know what to do to get the best result – or at least one that would cause the least issues.

Maybe it really was the fact that he was gay, and he just didn’t want to admit it to his face.

There were a lot of things that Bokuto could think of that would make Akaashi not want to be around him, and now he could add another.

He had insensitively brought up the other’s less than perfect home life, and if there was one thing that Akaashi had issues with most – it was complete and utmost trust.

And he’d had it before; he’d had that trust from Akaashi. It had taken a long time to build it up, and even to this day he didn’t know how he’d managed to… but he’d lost it over one stupid comment.

Figures.

 

* * *

 

“Kuroo…”

“Yes, Kenma?”

“Are you and Bokuto really dating?”

Nekoma’s captain was intrigued by the question, to say the least. He leaned in close to the other and grinned widely, making his face look even more feline than it usually did.

“Mm, a little jealous, are you?”

“No.”

Kuroo sighed and put his arms around Kenma’s shoulders, making the other look up from his PSP as he sighed slowly.

“So why are you asking?”

“… Just curious.”

“Mhmmmm, sure.”

“Just answer my question.”

“Pfft, you’re no fun. But if I say no, what would you say?” He asked, purely out of curiosity…that’s why. Not for any other reason than plain old curiosity.

“Good.”

“Good!? Kenma!?”

The setter gave him an exasperated look, furrowed brows and all as he huffed in frustration. He didn't want to come right out and say it but he knew what was really going on. He wasn't that dumb.

“You’re an idiot.”

Kuroo frowned before he understood the meaning behind Kenma’s words, putting two and two together and grinning widely. “You’re so cute when you’re jealous, Kenma~” He cooed, ruffling his hair fondly.

Luckily he knew his childhood friend well enough (and in truth, Kenma knew him just as well to ask such a question) to pretty much read his mind at all times. That or he was just insanely good at picking up on the setter’s tells.

“Shut up…”

Time to make a particular phone call then…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The confrontation scene! I hope I wrote this out well and everyone's in character, I had like 4 drafts of this chapter before settling on this one so fingers crossed that it's decent!
> 
> Follow me on tumblr: makokeii.tumblr.com.
> 
> If you want to see my thought process as I write and maybe get hints about new chapters before they come out then follow me on twitter!
> 
> https://twitter.com/makokeii
> 
> See you next Sunday!
> 
> (PS: I've finally decided on a set time on Sundays to post, it'll be 12 (noon) GMT time!)


	4. 'Nanohana no Karashiae'

Nothing would have distracted Bokuto from his daze if he hadn’t heard his phone ringing shrilly and obnoxiously loud from his jacket on the floor. He dropped the ball he was holding to the floor (maybe he’d thrown it in his frustration) and stalked over to the side to pull it out of the pocket, answering it.

“Whatever you want, I don’t care.” 

“Is that any way to greet your best bro, Kou?” Kuroo’s voice rang through the speaker and he groaned slowly before responding.

“Sorry, man. What’s up?” He slid down the wall, sitting down with his legs outstretched in front of him.

“The plan worked! Much quicker than I expected too. Guess he really did like me as much as Yaku said…”

“That’s awesome, I’m happy for you…”

“I’m just can’t believe he actually does though..”

“You’re a lucky guy, Tetsu..”

“You alright, bro? You seem kinda down…”

“Today’s been kinda crappy.”

“Ah, still hung up on Akaashi? Have you spoken to him yet?”

“Yes and yes.”

“Oh dear, that doesn’t sound good…”

“I fucked up, I really did…”

“C’mon, this is Akaashi we’re talking about.. You can’t have fucked up that badl-”

“I brought up his parents.”

Kuroo knew about Akaashi’s homelife, so the wing spiker could talk about it to him. He had happened onto it by accident though and the setter eventually gave in to his worried questions and explained it to him.

“Kouuuuu.”

“I know, I know. It was stupid and I was upset and he just…” 

“What did he do?”

“He said he left because of me... didn’t say anything else and just went back to his classroom.”

“Right…”

“What do I do?” 

“Give him time, first of all. Don’t go rushing up to him after school, he’s probably gonna be upset for a while.”

“How long?”

“A few days, at least, buddy… I’d leave it till Friday honestly..” 

“But…”

“No buts. This isn’t just about you, I know you want to do everything straightaway and sort it all out but it won’t work like that. Give it time.” 

“O-Okay… and then what?”

“Then see if he wants to talk, either text him or ask him in person - if he says no then let it go for a while, if he agrees then stay calm and apologise first of all.”

“Okay.”

Kuroo sighed and glanced off across the courtyard to where Kenma was walking over to him, waving his hand as he smiled lightly. “And don’t worry, Kou. Once you talk it out then I’m sure he’ll forgive you.”

“Hopefully.” 

“It will be, okay?”

“BOKUTO KOUTAROU.” A very very angry sounding female voice sounded from the door to the gym, a mass of wild curly blond hair clipped back with pink clips and hard set brown eyes glaring at the much taller boy.

“I should probably go.”

“Someone’s in trouble, don’t get killed, okay?”

“I’ll try not to but it’s a tiny angry girl and I’m scared.”

“I’ll let you go, see you and good luck.”

“Thank you, I’ll need it.”

He put the phone down, sliding it into his pocket as he stood up and faced the small blonde.

“Um...can I help you?”

“What did you say to Keiji-kun? He’s a mess!”

“I… Who are you?”

The blonde narrowed her eyes at him. “Michiko Akiyama, I’m Keiji’s classmate.”

“Oh...you’re….is he okay?”

“No he is not! I don’t know what you said but he doesn’t deserve that, you better apologise.”

“I...I will! I was going to!”

“Good, I’m watching you.” She spoke harshly, almost acting like Bokuto’s conscience and scolding him for his mistake. She wasn’t saying anything that he didn’t agree with really. “Bokuto-san, he really doesn’t deserve it.” Her voice was softer now and she seemed almost pitiful of the situation that the two boys were in.

“Especially since he lo-... well, he thought of you as his best friend, which I wasn’t very happy to hear, you know.” She huffed indignantly, crossing her arms as she looked at him with a tilted head. “Please fix it with him, Amakata-sensei had to send him home early because he was that upset.”

“I’m planning to, honestly. I didn’t mean to say what I did and I regret it..” 

“Am I allowed to know what you said?”

“It’s a little too personal, which made it worse… if he wants you to know then I’ll let him tell you.” 

“Okay… I still hate you right now but you’ll go back into my good books if you make it better.” She told him, waving a little before turning to walk away.

Bokuto waited till she was at the door, staring at the ground before a thought came to him. “Akiyama-san!” He called, jogging over to stand by her again.

“If you were to try and make it up to someone, how would you do it?” 

She blinked before humming to herself, thinking for a good long while. It would have to be something that Akaashi would appreciate, wasn’t something that could be easily messed up - Bokuto seemed like the kind of person to end up doing the wrong things at the wrong time (which wasn’t exactly wrong if the situation he was in proved anything). 

“I’d probably take them out to dinner, really. Plan an evening that centres around everything they like, because you’re trying to apologise to them and show that you appreciate them, right?”

“So dinner at a place that serves the best Nanohana no Karashiae, maybe a bookshop? He likes books, doesn’t he? Um...there’s a really nice park near his house, they’ve got an outdoor exhibition on that thing he likes...um...photography! It’s got like nature and stuff, I don’t know but he’d probably enjoy it…” He started to ramble, eagerly planning this evening as Michiko smiled a little and patted his shoulder.

“Honestly what you do isn’t the most important thing here, it’s showing you’re really sorry... “ She started before flipping her hair off of her shoulder and winking at him. “Besides your plan sounds like it might be a cute date.”

The wing spiker instantly went red and he stumbled over his words, beyond flustered as he tried to negate the statement. “It...S’not a date..” He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck as she laughed knowingly.

“Of course, Bokuto-san. Not a date.”

“I swear it’s not!”

“Your face says otherwise.”

“My face says it’s not a date.”

“No, your mouth says it’s not a date. The rest of your face says it is. Majority rules.”

“Shut up, you’re short..”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this took so long to update and it's not as long as the others! Trying to write in the past week was really really hard but I still wanted to get something up for you guys. Hopefully I'll be back on schedule by the next few chapters! 
> 
> I love you guys! <3
> 
> Follow me on tumblr: makokeii.tumblr.com.
> 
> If you want to see my thought process as I write and maybe get hints about new chapters before they come out then follow me on twitter!
> 
> https://twitter.com/makokeii
> 
> See you next Sunday!


	5. And I Will Try To Fix Things

_Love can sometimes be magic. But magic can sometimes just be an illusion - Javan_  
  
"Keiji! Dinner's ready." His mother's voice sounded through the light wood of his door, and the former setter sighed as he closed his book and pulled himself up from his bed, searching for his comfiest hoodie.  
  
But he couldn't find it. Exhaling in mild frustration, he picked the closest one to him and opened the door as his mother was getting more insistent on him not taking his time.   
  
"I know you're not feeling well, dear, so you can take it up to your room if you want to." She sighed slowly as he walked into the room, dark hair even messier than usual and only just acknowledging his dog jumping up at him with a quick ruffle of her ears before sitting down next to his sister.  
  
"No, it's fine. I'll eat here." Akaashi told her, before starting to slowly eat the prepared food as conversation went on around him. It had been three days since he'd last spoken to Bokuto, and he'd just been feeling worse with each that passed.   
  
"Oh, I heard you left the volleyball club… good on you, Keiji." His father spoke up after a while, smiling proudly at his only son from across the table. "Focusing on your studies, hm?"   
  
"Yeah, we have trial exams soon so I wanted to prepare for those." The lie came too easily, too prepared and if his parents knew him enough, they would have seen through it. There was one person that could see through any of his tells, but that bridge had long been burned now.   
  
"That's great to hear, you'll be able to get into the best universities if you improve your grades even more." His mother smiled.  
  
He opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by his phone going off in his pocket, glancing down at it and hearing his parents say he could answer it. He didn't recognise the number but decided to answer it anyway, standing up from the table and heading into the hallway to have some privacy.  
  
"Hello?"   
  
"Akaashi! Please don't hang up!"   
  
That was why he hadn't recognised the number, he'd deleted Bokuto's after assuming they wouldn't be talking anymore. The urge to hang up despite the ace's plea not to was overpowering and he exhaled slowly, resisting that desire and just staying silent.  
  
On the other side of the phone call, Bokuto was nearly tearing his hair out in worry. He'd been prepared for a blunt ‘leave me alone' or just being hung up on but he hadn't expected just….silence…   
  
"Um...I just...I wanted to say…"  
  
He heard a quiet sigh, at least he hadn't hung up and he'd been talking to a dead phone line. He was sure that if he was any more tense, he'd combust.   
  
"Just say what you want to say, Bokuto-san."   
  
"R-Right! Um...I'm sorry for bringing up your parents and making you upset...I didn't mean to, I just didn't…."  
  
"You didn't think. I know. You have no filter." The dark haired boy's voice wasn't bitter or laced with venom, it was almost sad, almost like he'd known all along that the words weren't meant to be malicious. That they shouldn't even have been said, it was a mistake that they were put out into the open.  
  
"Yeah, and I'm trying to work on it now, I really am!"  
  
Bokuto sighed slowly and waited for his response, the fingers of his free hand fiddling with his limp two toned locks as they fell over his eyes, wet from his shower. There was an even more profound silence from the other now, and he pulled his phone away from his ear to check that the line was still connected.   
  
"I don't know if I can accept your apology."   
  
"Then let me take you out tomorrow night! I'll prove to you that I'm trying to get better so I don't hurt you again."   
  
"Bokuto-san..."   
  
"Please?! I've planned it already…"   
  
"You've planned it and yet expected me to hang up…"   
  
"Well...yeah…"   
  
Another moment of silence, though this one seemed to be much shorter than the others had been.  
  
"Okay."  
  
"You'll come with me?!"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Great! Akaashi, I mean it, I'm honestly really sorry and I promise I'll make it up to you!"  
  
"Of course. I'll see you tomorrow, Bokuto-san."   
  
"Yeah, see you tomorrow!"  
  
After the line disconnected, both boys seemed to breathe a sigh of relief in their respective houses; glad that their relationship wasn't completely over.  
  


* * *

  
  
**From _Bokuto Koutarou_ [17:03]:**   
  
_I'll be at yours at 7 to pick you up so make sure you're ready then! and we'll be outside for a while so bring a light jacket too! xD xD_   
  


Akaashi glanced at the message that flashed up on his screen, exhaling slowly before he wandered to his wardrobe to pick out something decent looking to wear. Maybe he did want to look good for this evening, despite convincing himself that there was absolutely no need to and it was just a meet up between two somewhat friends that were slowly repairing their rocky friendship.  
  
Maybe if he looked good, he'd feel good. That was probably the best logic to go by in this situation. Yeah, he was still plenty upset about what had happened at the beginning of the week but seeing Bokuto try to fix it so eagerly made him a little more at ease and like nothing was slowly going wrong.  
  
Of course he couldn't help but wish it was a date of sorts, but that was surely off the table.   
  
In the end he decided on a simple outfit of a black shirt, black jeans and a dark jacket. It looked like he could be both trying to look good but not trying too much, as well as showing off how good he did look in black.   
  
He definitely was not trying to impress Bokuto.  
  
Across the neighbourhood, Bokuto was frantically trying to figure out what to wear as well.   
  
"Do I go formal? Or like smart casual? But it's not a date, so maybe just casual?" He muttered to himself, staring at the disarrayed mass of clothes on his bed. "Akaashi dresses smart a lot so maybe I should too?"   
  
"Honey, if you keep all your clothes on your bed like that, they'll be rumpled up..." His mother peeked her head through the door and watched her son avidly.  
  
"Aahh! Dammit!" He huffed, hurriedly starting to hang them up again.  
  
"My my, you're awfully tense." She raised an eyebrow and stepped into the room, looking up at her energetic son as he near shook with anticipation where he was. "Got a date?"   
  
"What?! Mom, no!" He squawked, staring at her in thinly veiled panic. "M'just going out with Akaashi, we're getting dinner..." Oh god, it sounded like a date.   
  
"Mhmm, you know if you brought that boy home as a suitor, we would be very happy. He's such a sensible boy." She smiled, patting his cheek.  
  
"It's not a-! Wait, are you saying I'm not sensible?" He pouted, resting his cheek against her hand some more. He had a good relationship with his mother, they were both affectionate and were very close and supportive of each other.   
  
"Well, Keiji-kun does calm you down a lot. Not that I don't love how energetic and excitable you are, it's adorable honey, but it's good to have someone that balances it out. Like me and your father."   
  
"Well you're the calm sensible one and dad's the energetic one so....wait, Akaashi and I aren't even dating, it's beside the point!"   
  
"You're being too defensive, dear. Now do you need help on choosing clothes for your date?"   
  
"Not a date."   
  
"We can quibble what to call it but is my help needed?"   
  
"...please..."   
  
A laugh came from her and she immediately went to his wardrobe, pulling out clothes and inspecting them.  
  
"Well these are a no go."   
  
"But those are my favourite shirts!"  
  
"Owl puns are not the way to a man's heart, Koutarou. No matter how many your father used."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gaaah this update is so late! I'm sorry! I've had a bit of writer's block so that's why I've put up a couple of oneshots for other pairings (because I needed to write something else tbh)
> 
> It's also a little short but fear not, next chapter will be the not-date and that should be up soon!


	6. It's Not A Date (It Totally Is)

After deciding on an outfit finally, something 'simple but stylish' as his mother described, it was almost time for him to leave. He didn't live too far from Akaashi, just across their neighbourhood, but he still didn't want to leave anything to chance. He'd already messed up once, he didn't want to be late on top of that.

The nerves were tearing away at his insides and the ace was sure the metallic taste in his mouth was from his bleeding lip from biting too hard in his worry. Despite himself disputing everyone's assumptions that this was more than just a dinner between two friends, he was now starting to question his own mind.

Konoha had been more than encouraging, even offering suggestions as to what he should take with him. And Kuroo and Kenma had just exchanged knowing glances as Bokuto rambled about all the things he'd planned and that he hoped Akaashi would like it.

"It's not a date, we're just friends, he wouldn't like me like that..." Wait, was he actually /disappointed/ by that? At the thought of Akaashi not liking him like lovers do, his heart had clenched into an uncomfortable vice and a slight gasp had escaped his lips. He couldn't be upset by that thought, he was pretty sure he saw Akaashi just as a friend.

"I mean, I wouldn't mind dating him...he takes cares of me, and is perfect in every way..." He mumbled before shaking his head, it couldn't be anything more than admiration for the younger boy's capabilities and ability to give him chance after chance. That coupled with his seemingly endless patience equalled the perfect companion for Bokuto, dating or not. He exhaled slowly and glanced at the clock, realising it was time for him to leave or else risk being late.

Bokuto said a quick goodbye to his mom, kissing her cheek before rushing out to the other boy’s house.

The walk was uneventful, other than a cat he took a picture of and sent to Kuroo because ‘doesn’t it look like Kenma?!’ (The response was; ‘yes, it does look like Kenma, but Bo, why are you snapchatting me before your date?’)

When he reached the other boy’s house, his cheerful demeanour had diminished somewhat and he felt the creeping uneasiness as he knocked on the door. Luckily he was a couple of minutes early so he was off to a good start.

A few moments of silence passed and Akaashi appeared through the frosted glass on his front door, blurred figure moving to open the door and greet him.

If Bokuto had been confused about his crush on Akaashi Keiji before, there was no doubt about it now. Tight black jeans clung to his legs, while the black shirt did nothing to hide how lean he was. Damn, he really looked good in black.

A cough brought him out of his trance, just staring at his legs with a slight blush, and he snapped his eyes up to Akaashi’s face. “S-Sorry!” He laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at the other.

Akaashi didn’t seem annoyed by his not-so-subtle staring session, if anything, he looked a little embarrassed too. Though he usually was whenever it came to Bokuto.

“I...uh...booked a couple of things for tonight, so we should probably get going!” He told him, stepping off to the side as he waited for him to put his shoes on. There was a funny feeling in his chest, as he waited, something that made him want this to be a date.

“What exactly are we doing?” Akaashi asked, as he tied his laces and stood up, fixing Bokuto with a look that the ace couldn’t quite decipher. Was it well-hidden curiosity? Or just resignation with Bokuto’s antics, and he’d agreed to just go through the motions of this outing to keep from being pestered?

Despite his increasing anxiety, he kept his blinding grin on his face and just beckoned for him to follow him. “First of all, everything’s a surprise! I’ve got a few things planned that I’m 100% sure you’ll like!” He laughed.

That brought a smile to Akaashi’s face, a small one but one nonetheless. He followed behind his captain, falling into habits as Bokuto chattered away about anything and everything and responding when prompted. It felt like a normal situation between the two boys, but they both knew it wasn’t quite the same. For more than one reason.

After a few minutes of walking, they reached the local park, a newly landscaped area that focused more on aesthetic than functionality. It was the setting for many local photographer’s portfolios, Akaashi’s included.

“We’re here!” Bokuto announced cheerfully, taking hold of Akaashi’s arm and pulling him into the park. They were greeted with a sign detailing that evening’s exhibition; a collection of the young artists’ portfolios amidst the evening sunset. “Wait till you see one of the best exhibits!”

Akaashi blinked, he remembered mentioning a few things about photography and asking Bokuto to be his model at times (the ace had always been more than happy to comply with Akaashi’s requests) but he hadn’t expected him to remember enough to take him to an exhibition.

They wandered around, Akaashi pointing out things he liked in some of the pictures and taking notes on composition and things he felt he himself needed to improve on.

It was when he reached a cluster of pictures near the end that he realised why Bokuto had brought him to this exhibition, and it wasn’t just because he liked photography. He had submitted a portfolio weeks before, half-heartedly because his captain had told him to.

He’d forgotten about it since honestly, he hadn’t expected to have his entries accepted, and he hadn’t heard back since but here they were, his pictures in a dimly lit corner of this park, with his name in cursive kanji written underneath the centrepiece.

“The photographer of this portfolio’s amazing, huh?” He heard Bokuto say softly next to him, though his eyes were distracted by the blown up canvas of the picture he’d loved the most. One set of hands, playing the fingers of the photographer’s free hand, each faint line captured in close detail. The dusting of freckles on the back of his own hand, the callouses on Bokuto’s, and the delicacy of the touch that he’d managed to somehow get across to the viewer on this two dimensional piece.

“Composition could be better.” He coughed after a moment, glancing off to the side as his cheeks tinted. He heard Bokuto scoff in disbelief before he felt warmth on his own hands, the familiar callouses and a thumb running over the back of his hand.

Akaashi blinked, still looking away even as Bokuto spoke. “Nothing beats the real thing, you know.” He mumbled, uncharacteristically quiet for a moment before he grinned.

“Betcha didn’t know they were chosen, huh?! I /told/ you, ‘kaashi!” He cheered, not letting go of his hand as he pulled him closer to the exhibit.

They spent an hour in that section, Bokuto explaining every little thing he loved about each picture and boasting to other visitors about how his friend had taken them, much to Akaashi’s discomfort. Though he felt a surge of pride from seeing his pictures in a public viewing, that only doubled when people agreed with his excitable ace, prompting even more rambling.

When visiting times were over, and they were being asked to leave by a kind faced lady, Akaashi had forgotten there was more to this outing until Bokuto pulled him to a restaurant.

“Are we eating here?”

“Just picking something up! I made sure it’d be ready when we got here!”

Whatever Bokuto had ordered was given to them in a bag, and he grabbed it in his free hand, still holding Akaashi’s. Neither of them had thought to let go yet.

“Come on, I’m taking you someplace real nice to eat.”

It was beautiful, and probably illegal.

Bokuto had taken him to the rooftop of a building in the centre of Tokyo, the skyline lit up with the neon lights and blinking windows that crossed the city. Stars were appearing against the dark of the night sky and Akaashi was captivated by it, lifting his phone to take a picture while he heard Bokuto shuffling behind him.

“All set!”

He turned, his companion standing in front of a picnic blanket with food spread out across it, and a small but bright light set in the middle. It looked picturesque and Akaashi couldn’t help a small smile at the effort Bokuto had gone to to make things up to him.

Bokuto’s cheeks darkened as he saw Akaashi smile and his grin turned shy, a hand rubbing the back of his neck as he glanced off to the side. “I...uhm. I got your favourites. And I know you like sights like this… remember the school trip you went on a few months ago?? You sent me so many pictures of the night sky and so...”

“Bokuto-san..” He cut off the rambling, a slight chuckle rising from his throat as he stepped closer to him and took his hands, meeting his gaze. “This is perfect. I… didn’t think you’d remember all the things I liked...”

“Well, of course I’d remember! You’re important to me, Akaashi! And I messed up so...”

“You’re forgiven.”

“I...I am?”

“Mhmm. No one would go to this much effort for forgiveness if they weren’t truly sorry. So you’re forgiven.”

Bokuto blinked at him owlishly, eyes widening before he whooped and pulled Akaashi into a bone-crushing hug that he couldn’t even bring himself to find anything over than endearing.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you. I promise I’m never gonna hurt you again, ever, ever! “

The conversation flowed freely from there, about anything and everything while they ate everything Bokuto had bought, the light casting a soft yellow glow over their faces as the cool wind whipped around them.

“This was a really nice evening.” Akaashi spoke, filling the comfortable silence as they lay on their backs, eating the chocolate covered strawberries from a container in between them and staring up at the sky.

Bokuto smiled widely, shifting so he was looking at Akaashi, hands resting behind his head. “Glad you liked it. I put a lot of thought into it.”

Akaashi smiled, a text tone going off in between them and both boys sitting up to check their phones. Akaashi caught sight of a message on Bokuto’s phone, able to read the message before Bokuto picked it up.

 

_**From Tetsuneko :3 <3 [10:06]:** _

_How’s the daaaaate going?? ;) ;)_

 

He furrowed his brows, what date? And weren’t Kuroo and Bokuto dating??

“Bokuto-san...”

“Yeah, ‘kaashi?” Bokuto was typing rapidly, cheeks flushed as he responded to Kuroo’s text.

“Was this… a date?”

“Huh?! Uh… I… you… I mean…”

“Aren’t you and Kuroo-san dating?”

Bokuto stared at him before he ducked his head. “We were...uhm… fake dating? He had someone he wanted to make jealous and um… yeah. We decided to fake date in order to do that...”

Akaashi was now the one staring and he took a moment to register that the two captains had only been _pretending_ before he burst into laughter. Bokuto raised his eyebrows in confusion, regarding the younger boy with multiple emotions. He didn’t think he’d ever seen Akaashi laugh that hard.

“You mean to tell me… that you and Kuroo-san were only _pretending_ to date all this time???”

“Um. Yeah?”

“You two are impossible. Absolutely ridiculous.”

“Akaashi, are you…”

“Did it work.”

“Did what work?”

“Did you make the person jealous?”

“Yeah.”

“And why did he ask about a date now?”

Bokuto flushed red and he crossed his arms, looking petulant like a child as he glared off to the side.

“He was saying that this was a date. You and me. Tonight.” He explained, mumbling slightly and making Akaashi have to lean in to hear him for once. Usually he was leaning back from how loud he was.

“Is it?” His voice was quiet, testing, with a slight hint of amusement.

“I don’t know! I wasn’t going to be thinking about going on a date with you until after we were okay again!”

“So you would have been thinking about it after?”

“Akaashi~. “ Bokuto whined, giving the named boy a look. “I… Yeah. Probably.”

“Hmm.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“It means ‘hmm’, Bokuto-san. I’m thinking.”

“What are you-”

He was cut off by cold lips pressing against his own, making his eyes widen and a shocked noise to come from him. But as soon as they were there, they were gone, fleetingly.

“Hmmmm.”

“What does that mean!?!”

“I would like this… to be a date… If that is okay with you, Bokuto-san.”

“I...uhm...yeah?!”

“Good. Because I want you to kiss me now.”

Bokuto was silent, just registering the words and the development before he needed no more prompting and the two boys spent the rest of their evening looking like lovestruck teenagers in a movie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know it's been literal months since i updated but um.. i don't have a valid reason for being absent :S 
> 
> here's the chapter thouuugh finally? um... yeah.... hmmm... 
> 
> i think i'm only going to write one more chapter, just to wrap everything up?? as an epilogue of them later on? and then i can focus entirely on my tensemi fic that i'm writing right now :D
> 
> but yeah, enjoy this??!


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